Abbott vows 'double-barreled' fight against gun show ban

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says on his Twitter page that he's prepared to go to court to prevent local officials from banning gun shows at local venues.

"If Austin or Travis Co. try to ban gun shows they better be ready for a double-barreled lawsuit," the state's top lawyer Tweeted late Tuesday .

He linked to local media reports that the Austin City Council and the Travis County Commissioners Court are considering dropping guns shows from facilities owned by public entities in their jurisdictions.

Earlier Tuesday, county commissioners discussed banning guns shows at the Travis County Expo Center. County Judge Sam Biscoe said the discussion arose because of deadly shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn. They put off any action on the matter at least until next week.

“These mass shootings in too many areas make you wonder,” said Biscoe. “Don’t we have too many guns?”

In an interview on Thursday, Abbott said state law would trump any action taken by local governments.

Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt raised several questions about the background check process at an event where assault rifles and semi-automatic weapons are sold. While federally certified dealers are required to get background checks, they are not required for face-to-face sales between individuals.

Both Biscoe and Eckhardt are Democrats. Abbott is a Republican.